I Can't Drive 55

['97ventureowner]

http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/stor...rsFf0R50Q.cspx
:
DUH! Who wouldn't have thought that raising the speed limit wouldn't have caused an increase in fatalities? My question is, just how much of the increase can be attributed to other sources such as distractions from cell phone use, texting, eating, etc. I thought when they repealed the 55 limit back in the 90's one of the reasons was that vehicles and roadways are built much better now than 20,30 years ago and can handle the higher speeds. What happened?
Hopefully people will realize that a lower speed limit can affect commerce, especially the trucking industry by adding costs and lengthening travel times. Hopefully there will be enough groups lobbying to keep the present 65mph limit in place when the bill comes up for renewal.

[blazee]

The cause is simple. Even though the speed limit is raised, old farts still drive 55 and get in everyone's way. I guarantee that if you banned old people and Chinese people from driving there would be a 90% reduction in accidents and at least a 75% reduction in insurance costs. This week alone I have had 2 Chinese people park too close to me and swing their doors open, hitting my vehicle. 2 days ago, an old fart in a truck too big for him, backed into my van. Even though it bent his bumper, luckily it only scuffed my tail light. I can now officially state that every vehicle I own has been backed into by old farts in parking lots. Some have been hit multiple times.... my blazer has been backed into by old farts 4 times!

Oh, and since I'm already on somewhat of a rant. If you want to reduce accidents in the rest of the country.... confine New Yorkers to their own damn state. Those are the most inconsiderate fucking pricks I've ever seen. They are the only ones I've ever seen that (on a regular basis) have no reservations about cutting into a lane occupied by someone else, with the expectation that they can scare them into hitting the brakes and giving them the lane. I've shared a single lane, side by side, on the interstate running ~80mph with some asshole from NY for at least 1/2 mile before he finally gave up trying to take my spot.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by blazee

Oh, and since I'm already on somewhat of a rant. If you want to reduce accidents in the rest of the country.... confine New Yorkers to their own damn state. Those are the most inconsiderate fucking pricks I've ever seen. They are the only ones I've ever seen that (on a regular basis) have no reservations about cutting into a lane occupied by someone else, with the expectation that they can scare them into hitting the brakes and giving them the lane. I've shared a single lane, side by side, on the interstate running ~80mph with some asshole from NY for at least 1/2 mile before he finally gave up trying to take my spot.

Hey now! I resent that. According to another study, we NYers have bucked the trend towards higher deaths and have actually decreased our numbers. Story here

New York State's numbers, though, paint a different picture. Since lawmakers ditched federal speed restrictions in 1995, fatalities on New York State roads have actually gone down.

That year, nearly 1,700 people died; by 2005, that number had dropped to about 1,400.

So there!

[blazee]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

Hey now! I resent that. According to another study, we NYers have bucked the trend towards higher deaths and have actually decreased our numbers. Story here
So there!

A reduction is not surprising at all, considering that there are less and less people on the roads in NY every year, as all those NY bastards move down here. Oh and don't forget those god awful accents.

[MagicRat]

The most significant indicator is the accident rate per capita per mile driven!

This article did not address that. It's possible the increase is related to more people on the road (which has happened in the time period of the study) and more miles driven per person (which also has occurred.)

According to Car and Driver magazine, from a few years ago, the fatality and accident rate per capita per mile driven has been going down year after year ever since statistics were first recorded in 1924.
This has occurred regardless of speed limits. US roads and driving conditions get safer and safer, so there is no grounds to use this to justify a change in speed limits.

Imo all the 55 limit ever did was provide governments with revenues and turn decent people into lawbreakers.